Bradley Wiggins's victory in the Tour De France could massively boost the popularity of cycling in Scotland – in fact, they're already calling it The Wiggins Effect – but only if more money is spent on improving the roads and building more cycle lanes.

That was the verdict yesterday of cyclists and cycling fans who are still coming down from the high of Wiggins's spectacular win in Paris on Sunday.

All of them said they thought publicity around the Tour would be good for the already growing popularity of cycling, but that not enough was being done at Government level to support the sport.

Chris Oliver, a consultant trauma orthopaedic surgeon in Edinburgh and chairman of the Cyclists' Touring Club Scotland, said he had seen a renaissance in cycling in Scotland, with a 19% increase in the numbers using cycling tracks last year alone.

"I think Wiggins' victory will accelerate what is already happening," said Mr Oliver. "It's going to fire people's imagination."

However, Mr Oliver said the cycling infrastructure needed to be improved to make cyclists feel safer.

"We need to spend more of the transport budget on cycling – we spend less than 1% on it at the moment.

"We need to really ramp up the money spent and improve the infrastructure. We would like to see it at the level of Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

"But the Government has got to engage – the SNP has got to want to move forward on this and make it an election issue because cyclists are voters."

Mr Oliver said he could testify personally to the health benefits of cycling, having lost 12 stones. Cycling is also important to 40-year-old PE teacher Jonny Penman.

Mr Penman is out every other day for a 45-minute cycle and as he enjoyed his regular trip yesterday in Newton Mearns, he said Wiggins, pictured below, could be very good for cycling in Scotland.

"Let's hope Wiggins has a positive effect," said Mr Penman. "Anything that is getting kids out, more active, heart rates up, is all positive."

Mr Penman said there have been many good developments in cycling recently. He added: "Reading about Wiggins in the papers, I can see that lottery funding has been a large part of it, and success breeds success.

"Cycling proficiency in schools has also taken another jump forward. There's a lot more awareness of cycling in schools, and more facilities. For me, it's a pure fitness, an adrenaline boost."

Mr Penman said the cycle route along the A77 near his home was almost always busy, an effect Bruce Cameron, the owner of local shop Adrenaline Bikes, has also seen.

"Cycling is having a tough time because of the weather," he said, "but as soon as that sun comes out, the Wiggins Effect, the Cavendish Effect will certainly be there. Cycling is becoming the next big thing in the UK, maybe catching up with the Continentals.

"I think Chris Hoy is really where it started – that kicked it off."

However, Mr Cameron said a problem for cyclists was the state of the roads.

He added: "There need to be more cycling routes, the road surfaces need to be improved. People are breaking their bikes and their wheels all the time.

"Loads of people are coming off their bikes and injuring themselves."

Craig Burn, chief executive of Scottish Cycling, the national governing body for cycling in Scotland, told The Herald: "Wiggins's win on the tour was a monumental day, not only for cycling but sport as a whole in the United Kingdom.

"Everyone can relate to riding a bike on the road and it's something I'm sure is going to have an immediate effect on participation numbers in Scotland."